8 Freefall Drop

14,000 feet above Nisia, a Cessna aircraft hid above the clouds, carrying a troop dressed in an all-black tactical military combat uniform, ready for a freefall drop to the ground.

"Who let the dogs out!" the team leader screamed at the top of his lungs, his voice almost got caught with the altitude.

"Wooooh! Wooooh! Woooh!" half a dozen men stood in attention, their feet together and their arms at their sides, as they line in a row and screamed in unison.

Their leader slapped each man on the buttocks, and on cue, those men jumped out of the aircraft. When the leader was the only person left, he took one deep breath and made a sign of the cross. He wiggled his body, craned his neck left and right, and took a leap to his impending fate.

Down below, a big patch of green was their designated dropzone and 60 seconds later, one by one the skydivers pulled the tab to their parachute and glide their way into safety. Once they landed in a safe zone, the team of half a dozen men removed their parachutes and made a formation towards the middle of the jungle.

The wild jungle grass that reached the men's hips bow down with their every step. Midway, the leader wheezed when he felt something sting his forearm yet he kept his fighting stance with his hand gripping tight on his pistol and his finger ready to pull the trigger anytime.

After a while of sweeping the area, the team ended up at the heart of the jungle where they found a dilapidated building complete with torn down roof, windows with broken panes, and perhaps a lost ghost or two too.

The man in the front line raised his hand and signaled for his team to halt. With his two fingers up in the air, he gave his instructions on where his team would go. Their search party didn't take long as they found their way to the culmination of their mission - rescuing a hostage. The leader carried the hostage out of the building, however, a red laser swept his teammate's head and a round of gunshot battle ensued. The rescue team continued to find their way out to their sticky situation, occasionally firing back to their attackers.

Before they reached the exit, the leader passed the hostage to a teammate and decided to stay behind to stall their time. A menacing glint flashed in the leader's eyes as he mentally noted how many souls he had to put to rest that day and one after the other, bodies dropped on the floor.

On his way out of the building, he took his helmet off, relieving himself from steaming heat and revealing his sweat-stricken face.

A quick glance would not be enough as his eyes alone could make one's breathing hitch… what with those dreamy clear blue eyes that could trap anyone's soul who made contact with it. His thick black brows softened the angles of his face and his golden curly hair in a crew cut style added a touch of playfulness to balance it all.

Maxen Victor Eton Sui, 32 years old, youngest Colonel of the Armed Forces of Nisia and the last male descendant of the Sui Family… for now. *wink*

His lips pursed into a devilishly handsome smirk. His aura oozing with nobility and fearlessness that even the microscopic insects bowed down to his passing figure. His teammates and other military officials welcomed him with a round of applause for another successful jungle hostage rescue mission training.

"You don't have to go back and kill them all!" Wyatt, a platoon commander, exclaimed as he scratched his head when he saw his men squint in pain with their hands on their necks where Maxen shot them; the only exposed spot of their bodies.

This childhood friend of his sure had a knack for a one-strike kill fashion.

"I don't want abductors trailing our backs and reporting to their leaders even before we reach a safe haven," Maxen replied before downing a bottle of water, his Adam's apple bobbed as he drank. He made his way to his teammates and gave each a firm pat on the shoulder before shaking their hands for a job well done. And once the elite group of six was recognized, they stood ramrod straight and sent a uniform salute to their Colonel's way.

"Heard anything from Ollie?" Wyatt asked as they took a rest under the shade of a tree.

"No, why?"

"He's asking me to meet him for lunch."

"Ha! He's going to introduce you to someone, I bet." Maxen scoffed with his eyes closed. Although the three men held high regard to the other, Ollie never introduced a lady to Maxen which boggled the latter the most.

"You want to go in my stead? He'll never know."

Maxen snapped at his friend and hit him with a towel. "You traitor! Just tell him you're not interested."

The two friends shared a laugh before falling into a comfortable silence. The jungle's hum was lulling them to a light powernap. A little while later, the crunch of dried leaves woke them up but they immediately went back to sleep when they saw the familiar figure of a girl that completed their group.

"What bad air brought you here, Emily?" Wyatt asked, his annoying tone made Emily kick his thigh but the man did not budge, so she kicked him again. Wyatt stood and towered over her before kissing her lips and flashing a cheeky smile.

"You should tell Ollie to stop setting you up with girls. And why do we have to keep our relationship a secret to him anyway?"

The two men looked at each other, Maxen smirked at his anxious friend and stood up, leaving Wyatt to do the honor of explaining the situation to Emily but before he could go farther away Emily called him out.

"Hey, Maxen! Don't forget the auction for Sir James is tonight."

"Of course, how could I miss my baby?"